Well, I journaled every day for the first 15 days and I am pretty sure I might never do it again. I might try. I simply crash into bed at night with a bazillion thoughts and impressions and no mental energy to sort through them.
This post is going to annoy most of you, but it's going to happen anyways. I don't have enough or brain internet speed to post anything worthwhile. They are "sold out" of internet nationwide and so I may not get it mid June. Don't get your hopes up. Simple things like sending out a newsletter or posting pictures are thus difficult and I lost all of my mental energy when a short term team from Gardner Webb was here. They are still here, but they are on safari and so I am pretending that they are gone.
This post is about food.
Side Note: I am having an incredible day. I had to take a friend to the airport this morning and then realized I am mentally exhausted and tomorrow is a prayer and fasting day at work and I just need to refresh myself. So I went home. Magically, all the people who live here are gone until 5, no gardeners, maids, nannies or home repair people are here today, and I have the house to myself! I am belting out Whitney Houston and Hillsong at the top of my lungs and I feel better already.
I know that SOME of you are worried about my nutrition, since I have no kitchen yet (I'll show you pictures some day) and have been living off Nik Naks (cheetos) and Biscuits (cookies) for the past two weeks. And trust me, I've been feeling quite sluggish and miserable as a result. Never fear. Today I spent some time figuring out the grocery store and it is far less menacing than it once appeared.
For example - I turned up my nose in disgust at the idea that turkey breast (which I have only found in one place so far) was 140 Rand a pound! That is something like 18 dollars. Are you kidding? So...no. I'll take biscuits and coke zero thanks. Then I realized it is 140 Rand a KILOGRAM and it all makes sense. However, I am ashamed to admit it took me a good minute to figure out how much I wanted to ask the lady for. Half a pound is....200 grams? 300 grams? ahhhhhh
Then fruit. You have to get fruit weighed and tagged in the produce section. By whom? Where? Do they speak English? (not really) Are you seeing why I avoided all fresh foods? Well today I dived right in. Fresh food all looks organic here. Another thing I avoid.... I wash it a whoooole lot and you have to cut off strange parts. I got a tomato, a banana, a cucumber, a variety of leafy plants, a bag of naartchies (clementines with seeds), and even some apples! Can I just say.....fruit and vegetables are CHEAP here. I got a cucumber for about a quarter, I got a bag of 9 large naartchies for 50 cents, I got a bag of 16 apples for under 2 dollars, and I got 4 kilos of potatoes for less than 3 dollars (please, don't ask me what I'm going to do with 4 kilos of potatoes. I keep making this same stupid mistake with excessive amounts of potato!) ....I mean seriously. I am going to change my whole approach toward shopping. And I am apparently going to be eating a TON of apples and potatoes....
Then I figured out how the bread works. 1 - it is delicious. 2 - it is CHEAP. 3 - you have to decide exactly how many pieces you are going to eat between the moment you are in the store and the moment it is going to go stale. Which is like, a day. It's very difficult for me to have to switch to a "pick your meals and then eat it or else it is going to go bad because everything is less preserved" kind of eating. I feel sad about this, but kinda excited because I get to be earthy without trying...
So, incredible instant "porridge", salad, fruit and sandwiches with phenomenal freshly baked bread, turkey breast, and peppadews - my new favorite South African "vegetable". OH and I finally found coffee that is strong enough to pass for something Jillian or Allison (either one) would make me. Gosh I miss you guys' coffee. And you. :)
Also, I realized today that my mother really did do her darnedest to set us up for easy healthy living. I think I am going to spend the next few months appreciating that and eating the stuff I once enjoyed in her house before the years of college and eating out. They don't have pretend yogurt here and so today I ate the real thing. It was better than ice cream. Thanks, mom. :)
I'll post about my past few weeks (which have been insane and awesome and full of hands on ministry) probably tonight, after I get caught up on some sanity!
This post is going to annoy most of you, but it's going to happen anyways. I don't have enough or brain internet speed to post anything worthwhile. They are "sold out" of internet nationwide and so I may not get it mid June. Don't get your hopes up. Simple things like sending out a newsletter or posting pictures are thus difficult and I lost all of my mental energy when a short term team from Gardner Webb was here. They are still here, but they are on safari and so I am pretending that they are gone.
This post is about food.
Side Note: I am having an incredible day. I had to take a friend to the airport this morning and then realized I am mentally exhausted and tomorrow is a prayer and fasting day at work and I just need to refresh myself. So I went home. Magically, all the people who live here are gone until 5, no gardeners, maids, nannies or home repair people are here today, and I have the house to myself! I am belting out Whitney Houston and Hillsong at the top of my lungs and I feel better already.
I know that SOME of you are worried about my nutrition, since I have no kitchen yet (I'll show you pictures some day) and have been living off Nik Naks (cheetos) and Biscuits (cookies) for the past two weeks. And trust me, I've been feeling quite sluggish and miserable as a result. Never fear. Today I spent some time figuring out the grocery store and it is far less menacing than it once appeared.
For example - I turned up my nose in disgust at the idea that turkey breast (which I have only found in one place so far) was 140 Rand a pound! That is something like 18 dollars. Are you kidding? So...no. I'll take biscuits and coke zero thanks. Then I realized it is 140 Rand a KILOGRAM and it all makes sense. However, I am ashamed to admit it took me a good minute to figure out how much I wanted to ask the lady for. Half a pound is....200 grams? 300 grams? ahhhhhh
Then fruit. You have to get fruit weighed and tagged in the produce section. By whom? Where? Do they speak English? (not really) Are you seeing why I avoided all fresh foods? Well today I dived right in. Fresh food all looks organic here. Another thing I avoid.... I wash it a whoooole lot and you have to cut off strange parts. I got a tomato, a banana, a cucumber, a variety of leafy plants, a bag of naartchies (clementines with seeds), and even some apples! Can I just say.....fruit and vegetables are CHEAP here. I got a cucumber for about a quarter, I got a bag of 9 large naartchies for 50 cents, I got a bag of 16 apples for under 2 dollars, and I got 4 kilos of potatoes for less than 3 dollars (please, don't ask me what I'm going to do with 4 kilos of potatoes. I keep making this same stupid mistake with excessive amounts of potato!) ....I mean seriously. I am going to change my whole approach toward shopping. And I am apparently going to be eating a TON of apples and potatoes....
Then I figured out how the bread works. 1 - it is delicious. 2 - it is CHEAP. 3 - you have to decide exactly how many pieces you are going to eat between the moment you are in the store and the moment it is going to go stale. Which is like, a day. It's very difficult for me to have to switch to a "pick your meals and then eat it or else it is going to go bad because everything is less preserved" kind of eating. I feel sad about this, but kinda excited because I get to be earthy without trying...
So, incredible instant "porridge", salad, fruit and sandwiches with phenomenal freshly baked bread, turkey breast, and peppadews - my new favorite South African "vegetable". OH and I finally found coffee that is strong enough to pass for something Jillian or Allison (either one) would make me. Gosh I miss you guys' coffee. And you. :)
Also, I realized today that my mother really did do her darnedest to set us up for easy healthy living. I think I am going to spend the next few months appreciating that and eating the stuff I once enjoyed in her house before the years of college and eating out. They don't have pretend yogurt here and so today I ate the real thing. It was better than ice cream. Thanks, mom. :)
I'll post about my past few weeks (which have been insane and awesome and full of hands on ministry) probably tonight, after I get caught up on some sanity!